BUYING GOLD

Many gold articles that are stamped or stated to be 18k or 14k, are NOT! Therefore, it is not uncommon to find these items at 20%, 40% or more less in gold content than they are purported to really be. The Federal Trade Commission guide requires that the content MUST be within .003 of what it is supposed to be – 14k is .583 per cent of 24k. The tolerance is not allowed to be less than .580. The result of under-karating can make a dramatic change in price. For example, a 14k gold chain priced at $100 would be around $60 if the gold content were 10k.

Gold is the quintessential anticyclical asset. Comparing gold to other commodities, there is no real correlation between return or gold and changes in macroeconomics such as Gross Domestic Product, inflation and the interest rate. Therefore, gold returns are less correlated than other commodities. Gold as an investment asset is simply stated, a safe haven in times of financial volatility and it’s an extremely low risk investment. The current market is strong and there are some indications that predict even a higher market to come.

Platinum or White?

Which should you choose? Both offer superior beauty and value for your money. The decision is strictly yours, the buyer.

You should think about how long and often it will be worn, your personal taste and how much you want to spend. Platinum is the most enduring of all precious metals. After years of daily wear, it shows little or no sign of age – whereas white gold may wear more quickly. Most platinum gold is 90-95% pure. 14k white gold is approximately 60% pure. As for value, you can expect platinum jewelry to cost significantly more than a comparable piece in white gold